The coastal city of Karatsu was a key port for trade with China and Korea thanks to its proximity to the Korean peninsula, and is known for the quality of its pottery. Local attractions include the large hilltop castle, which served as a base for general Toyotomi Hidetoshi's 16th century invasion of Korea.

Three days after Hiroshima was flattened by an atomic bomb, Nagasaki suffered the same horrifying fate. The reconstruction of both cities has been quite extraordinary; Nagasaki today is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place, with a fascinating history that goes back a lot further than 1945.

The friendly southern Japanese city of Kagoshima enjoys a balmy climate, and sits just across the bay from the very active Sakurajima volcano, which erupts so regularly that an ‘ash forecast’ is included in local weather reports.

The city of Miyazaki sits on the southeastern coast of Kyushu, the warmest of Japan’s main islands, and it’s a popular spot for domestic tourists. Worthwhile excursions include the historic town of Obi, known as ‘Little Kyoto’, and laid back Aoshima island, home to a picturesque shrine.

The historic town of Uwajima, situated on the west coast of Shikoku island, is home to a beautiful 17th century castle, surrounded by ornamental gardens. Another popular and rather eye-opening attraction is the Taga fertility shrine, with its 9-foot carving of a phallus and adjoining sex museum.

The port of Tamano is an important centre for shipbuilding and fishing, but the city also has an arty side, with some eye-catching sculptures scattered about. Local points of interest include Miyama Park, with its elegant English garden, and Shibukawa Beach, a popular spot for watersports.

Miyajima island, officially known as Itsukushima, is famous for its incredibly photogenic torii (shrine gates) which seem to float above the water. Renovation work beginning in June 2019 means that the gates will be obscured by scaffolding for a couple of years, but the shrine itself will remain open.

On 6 August 1945 the world witnessed the terrifying power of nuclear weapons for the first time, unleashed on the unsuspecting Japanese city of Hiroshima. The modern city's sobering Peace Memorial Park commemorates that fateful day, which left more than 140,000 dead.

The elegant Himeji-jo, with its five-storey main keep, moats and defensive walls, is renowned as Japan’s most beautiful surviving feudal castle. The castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was built in 1580 by the powerful general and samurai warrior Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The small coastal town of Shingu is home to the Kumano Hayatama Taisha, one of three Shinto shrines connected by a network of ancient pilgrimage routes. The surrounding countryside is home to waterfalls, fast-flowing rivers and the dramatic Dorokyo Gorge, and is a popular area for hiking, rafting and scenic boat trips.